1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention disclosed herein is directed to fluid transfer and particularly to adjustable fluid transfer apparatus.
2. Description of Related Prior Art
There has been a problem encountered in the prior art with respect to fluid transfer. Many fluids are transferred and stored in bulk for many different reasons including cost, efficiency, and danger of handling such fluids in small quantities. Such examples include cryogenic fluids, gasoline, and natural gas to name a few. Usually such transfer from a bulk source is not easily accomplished, since the outlet is not conveniently placed and may lead to unwanted occurrences of spillage or explosion.
With respect to the specific embodiment described herein the following problem in the prior art was encountered.
Up to now, arbitrary lengths of half-inch copper tubing were bent into L-shaped sections and attached to a main fill tank of liquid nitrogen via a flare nut. The fixed height of the output copper tube was exclusively determined by its length and where the 90.degree. elbow was located and could not be readjusted after attachment.
This situation has resulted in much frustration when attempts were made to fill a container whose size did not match the height of the transfer tube line. Usually, objects had to be placed under the interim container to bring it up to the proper height. These inadequate and unsatisfactory arrangements invariably lead to spillage and waste of liquid nitrogen and occasionally even result in accidental frostbite injuries when last minute attempts are made to realign the extremely cold (-321.degree. F.) transfer line by hand to prevent spills. Finally, another problem occurred during the initial attachment of the transfer line to the main tank. A special-purpose wrench was generally needed to properly tighten the flare nut.
The present invention overcomes the problem of the prior art by providing an apparatus which allows for the transfer of fluids in a safe, easy, and convenient manner without the use of any special proper tools.